LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 51:
Chapter 51:
The Law Enforcement Elder issued an order to seal off Nanshi Town and capture the remnants of the Demonic Sect. Chaos erupted throughout the town, sending its residents into a frenzy.
Xiao Yang stood silently to the side, watching the drama unfold with indifference.
He knew it was futile.
Catching remnants of the Demonic Sect was never this simple.
Moreover, one such remnant was standing right among them—a genuine member of the Demonic Sect, none other than Qin Fei.
Not only was Qin Fei a member of the sect, but he was also its young master, a figure of immense significance.
This man had been lurking within the Azure Sun Sect for a decade, and no one had discovered his true identity.
In the previous life, Qin Fei had remained in the sect for over a thousand years, steadily climbing the ranks.
He had started as an ordinary Inner Sect disciple, become a true disciple, and eventually been revealed as a prodigy with an innate Dao physique. The Sect Master, Jiang Qitian, had personally taken him as his last disciple.
Step by step, Qin Fei had risen to the position of Holy Son, replacing Xiao Yang. He had even drawn the Azure Sun Sword, the sect’s treasured artifact.
In that life, Qin Fei was undoubtedly the most successful infiltrator the Demonic Sect had ever placed.
But in this life, Xiao Yang swore to make him regret ever being born.
…
By evening, Xiao Yang left Nanshi Town with Lin Wangchuan.
From a guestroom window on the third floor of the inn, Qin Fei watched the two leave. A sinister smile crept across his lips, his gaze cold and ruthless.
Xiao Yang had no idea that they were already under Qin Fei’s watchful eye.
The two headed east out of the town.
At every exit, guards were stationed, carefully inspecting all those who left. Shoes and socks were removed to check for marks on the soles of their feet.
Xiao Yang couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Not all remnants of the Demonic Sect had marks on their soles.
Moreover, the marks could be hidden at will.
Take Qin Fei, for instance—Xiao Yang had fought him for over a thousand years in his previous life, and Qin Fei’s body bore no visible markings.
“Senior Brother…”
As Xiao Yang and Lin Wangchuan passed through the checkpoint, the guards, Li Yunhu and Qi Xuan, quickly bowed in greeting.
“Hmm,” Xiao Yang nodded slightly and continued on.
Before long, they reached a pond about ten miles east of Nanshi Town.
A stone tablet stood by the water, inscribed with the words “Thousand Dragon Pond.”
The pond was serene, its surface like a mirror. A light mist floated above it, and the crimson hues of the sunset reflected on the water, making it appear as if flames danced upon its surface.
Such a breathtaking view was a rarity in the area.
“It’s chilly here,” Lin Wangchuan muttered, pulling his hands into his sleeves and shivering.
Xiao Yang remained silent.
Of course, it was cold—this was a frigid pond, and the cold emanated from its depths.
The delicious red-braised golden-scaled dragon carp Lin Wangchuan had devoured earlier came from this very pond.
“Senior Brother Holy Son, why is it called Thousand Dragon Pond? Is there a hidden dragon in this tiny pond?” Lin Wangchuan asked, his gaze fixed on the stone tablet.
“Haven’t you heard the legend about this place?” Xiao Yang asked with a faint smile.
“What legend? Tell me!” Lin Wangchuan’s interest was piqued.
“Legend has it…” Xiao Yang began, recounting the tale of the Thousand Dragon Pond.
It was a story about a dragon maiden who fell in love with a mortal man.
To save her beloved, the dragon maiden sacrificed her dragon pearl, preserving his life.
Without the pearl, she could no longer return to the North Sea and instead resided in this pond.
But her lover, tempted by the promise of eternal life, conspired with an evil cultivator to harm her and extract her blood for alchemy.
Heartbroken, the dragon maiden reclaimed her pearl, ascended as a true dragon, and vanished into the heavens.
Her lover, having lost the dragon pearl, soon met his demise.
When the dragon maiden transformed into a true dragon, the spectacle of a thousand dragons ascending under the moonlight was witnessed by locals, and thus the pond earned its name.
As Xiao Yang finished the tale, a wave of melancholy washed over him.
Like the dragon maiden, he, too, had loved and lost, only to be left battered and scarred.
Betraying true love… such people deserved death.
“True love wasted on the unworthy,” Xiao Yang muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
When he turned to look at Lin Wangchuan, he was taken aback.
“What’s wrong, brother?” Xiao Yang asked.
Lin Wangchuan, usually carefree and jovial, sat with his head lowered, visibly moved.
“Poor dragon maiden,” Lin Wangchuan murmured, his eyes red.
“…” Xiao Yang was speechless.
“Brother, it’s just a story,” Xiao Yang said, exasperated.
“But the emotions are real!” Lin Wangchuan shot back, meeting Xiao Yang’s gaze with unexpected sincerity.
Xiao Yang froze, caught off guard by this childlike companion’s unexpected depth.
Indeed, the legend might be fabricated, but the emotions it evoked were genuine.
“Alright, alright. Aren’t you curious why I brought you here?” Xiao Yang changed the subject.
“Oh, right! Why did we come here, Senior Brother?”
“There’s something delicious to be had here,” Xiao Yang replied with a sly grin.
“Something delicious?” Lin Wangchuan’s eyes lit up.
Just then, an old fisherman walked by, muttering, “No catch today, as usual…”
Xiao Yang glanced at the fisherman.
The elderly man carried a bamboo creel at his waist and a fishing rod in hand, his weathered face partially obscured by a woven hat.
The fisherman had likely been trying to catch golden-scaled dragon carp—a highly sought-after fish.
A single half-pound golden-scaled dragon carp could sell for ten taels of gold.
The red-braised carp Lin Wangchuan had enjoyed earlier weighed around four to five pounds, worth a hundred gold taels.
But catching these fish was notoriously difficult.
“Did you enjoy the fish at lunch?” Xiao Yang asked.
“There’s more in the pond? Amazing! I’m going to catch one myself!” Lin Wangchuan clapped his hands in excitement.
“Lads, don’t go into the water. There’s a man-eating monster in that pond,” the old fisherman called out over his shoulder.
“Thank you for the warning, sir!” Xiao Yang cupped his hands in gratitude.
“Man-eating monster?” Lin Wangchuan’s excitement grew, his eyes sparkling.
He immediately began removing his shoes and socks.
“What are you doing?” Xiao Yang asked, alarmed.
“I’m going to catch the monster!” Lin Wangchuan declared boldly.
“Hold on!” Xiao Yang stopped him.
He knew exactly what lay beneath the surface of the pond.
In his previous life, a priceless treasure had emerged from the Thousand Dragon Pond, attracting countless powerful cultivators.
In the end, it was Qin Fei who claimed the treasure.
With its aid—and the breakthrough pill Jiang Ting had gifted him—Qin Fei ascended to the Saint Martial Realm and became a Sword Saint.
It was then that Qin Fei had pierced Xiao Yang’s heart with a single strike, ending his life.
This time, Xiao Yang wouldn’t let Qin Fei have his way.
He would seize the treasure first.
This life, Qin Fei, you’ll have to find another way to rise.